Branding-iron.



L. 0. THURMAN.'

BRANDING IRON.

APPLICATION IILBD APB.25,1911.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

QIIIIIIIII IIIII" n 3mm/to@ 0. 27h/772207Z.

A@ Ly?,

LEE ONADUS TI-IRMAN, F LUEDERS, TEXAS.

BRANDING-IRON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 25, 1911.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

Serial No. 623,252.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEE O. THURMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lueders, in the county of Jones, State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Branding-Irons; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to branding irons and has for an object to provide a device of this character having a combustion 5 chamber provided with Walls which slope toward the branding surface and concentrate the flame of the burner upon this surface so that a greater number of cattle can be branded with less fuel expended than usual in devices of this character.

A further object of the invention is to provide a branding iron having a burner which will direct the ame in a broad sheet toward the branding surface so that the 5 entire branding surface will receive the iiame uninterruptedly instead of only a portion of the surface receiving the flame direct and the flame then traveling transversely across the remaining surface as in ordinary 0 branding irons, thus a hotter branding surface is effected than usual.

With the above objects in view the invention resides specifically in the novel form of combustion chamber together with the 5 novel form of burner therein and more generally consists in the novel details of oonstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that modifications may be made 0 `in the device within the scope of the appended` claim.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a branding iron embodying my 5 improvements, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the branding iron, Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3 3 Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of 4reference designate similar parts, 10 designates in general the combustion chamber, which is preferably formed in two pieces the bottom piece 11 being in the nature of a cup, rectangular 5 in cross section, and having its side walls of uniform thickness with and sloping toward the bottom, the latter being formed on its bottom face with a transverse rib 12 or other projection which forms the design or brand, or design to be burned on to an animal. The top piece 13 is in the nature of an inverted cup, the rim of which is tongued as shown at 14, to engage in a rabbet 15 run around the inner periphery of the bottom piece rim, a cottery pin 16 or similar fastener beingk removably engaged through the inter-fitting portions of the top and bottom pieces to permit of the bottom piece being removed for lighting the hereinafter described burner. The walls of the top piecefare of uniform thickness with the walls -of the bottom piece, and form continuations of the bottom piece walls, and when the top and bottom pieces are assembled, -a completely inclosed approximately frusto-pyramidal combustion chamber is formedby the pieces. A pipe 17 is engaged at one' end through a suitable opening 18 formed in the top piece, this pipe extending axially to about the center of the combustion chamber, and threading into the lateral branch 19 of a T fitting 20, the alined branches 21 of this fitting being closed at their opposite ends by caps 22, and being provided with orifices 23 which open toward the bottom of the bottom piece. This T fitting performs the function of a burner, and it will be noted that the opposite ends of this burner extend to nearly the opposite side walls of the bottom piece so that the flame issuing from the openings 23 is directed toward the bottom of the bottom piece in a broad sheet, and by virtue of the walls of the side walls sloping toward the bottom of the bottom piece, the flame will be concentrated upon the bottom throughout the entire cross diameter of the bottom so that the latter is heated intensely y throughout.

A reservoir 24 is fixed by straps 25 or similar fasteners to the pipe above the combustion chamber, and is provided in one of its sides with an opening 26 which communicates with an opening 27 in the side of the pipe, the latter named opening communieating with the bore of the pipe and permitting the fuel such as gasolene or the like contained in the reservoir flowing under pressure into the pipe 17. An air pump 28 is fixed to the top wall of the reservoir and forms means for maintaining the contents of the reservoir under any desired pressure.

A. valve 29 is arranged in the bore of the pipe between the reservoir and combustion chamber, and permits when turned to open position of the fuel being fed tothe burner in a spray as is usual in gasolene burners. The open end of the pipe remote from the vCombustion chamber is equipped with a hand loop 30 one side of which is provided with a lateral projecting lug 31 which engages Within the bore of the pipe and forms a plug that closes the pipe.

Formed in the top piece of the combustion chamber are a plurality of vent openings 32 to permit escape of the gases of combustion and aerate the combustion chamber. It will be noted that the combustion chamber is virtually a continuous frustopyramidal casing so arranged in the casing with the T-shaped burner to direct flame toward the smaller end of the casing. By this construction the entire strength of the flame is concentrated upon the smaller end of the casing or branding end of the casing, so that the branding surface is maintained hotter than in usual devices of this character, and by virtue of this concentration of the flame, the fuel used in maint-aining the surface hot7 will beless than ordinary devices which do not concentrate the flame,'

but permit of the iiame playing directly upon the bottom and then sweeping transversely across the bottom.

.What is claimed, is

A branding tool including a combustion chamber formed of cup-like members having their rims removably secured together, the bottom of one cup-like member lforming a branding element, the walls of both cuplike members converging toward said branding element, a fuel supply pipe projecting axially through one of said cup-like members, a T shaped burner having its alined branches provided with flame outlet openings, said openings confronting said branding element, a fuel reservoir assembled with said supply pipe, and a valve in said supply pipe intermediate said reservoir and said combustion chamber for regulating the sup- 'ply of fuel to said burner.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, 1n presence of two witnesses. Y f

LEE ONADUS THURMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ofV Patents,y Washington, D. C. i 

